


Queen Bee

by ChingKittyCat



Category: Kirby (Video Games), Kirby - All Media Types
Genre: Additional Warnings Apply, Backstory, Gen, Manipulation, Murder, Pre-Canon, Royalty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-10
Updated: 2018-03-10
Packaged: 2019-03-29 07:14:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13922049
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChingKittyCat/pseuds/ChingKittyCat
Summary: "I.." Taranza trailed off then brokenly laughed, "Before I brought the mirror to her, she was just so.. Sweet and kind. To everyone. She was the picture perfect queen, no one could ever see past that. Not even me."Kirby looked at the spider-like creature with some merit of concern as he stared down at the flower in his hand."The mirror did something to her. It.. Didn't corrupt her. I don't think any mirror, especially not that one, could do that to anyone. When you look in a mirror, do you get a sudden urge to do bad things, Kirby?"He looked at the orb. Kirby shook his head."A mirror just reflects who you are back at you. It shows who you are. That's what it did to Sectonia— it forcibly revealed her. I still can't bring myself to hate her, despite how she actually turned out to be.."





	Queen Bee

   Sectonia, her three siblings, and her parents floated elegantly at the top of the castle's front foyer stairway. On the second floor was the ballroom, where tonight's annual ball would take place. Sectonia, the youngest, had a small flower slipped behind her antenna, with a tiny crown bejeweled with red diamonds. Her elegant gloves that fit over her nimble fingers were tucked nicely infront of her, making her look as prim and proper as a lifeless doll. Her small dress of blues and yellows matched nicely with her complexion, and the small gem in her crown reflected the color of her eyes. The four small, golden wings upon her back were completely still, showing her self control to the guests.

   Beside her was the second youngest; her sister Croutue. Her face was much more slender compared to Sectonia's rounder one, and looked much more pointed. She gave off an air of seriousness and maturity, despite being neither of such things. She wore a fanciful, white rippled dress that was a few inches shy of the floor. Lined with gold, she looked like she was to attend her own wedding rather than a ball. Croutue wore a crown as well, slightly bigger than Sectonia's own. It was adorned with unique green jewels, but only because Croutue had the only pair of green eyes in the family. Croutue's four, large-for-her-age wings shifted on occasion, most likely out of boredom.

   Next to Croutue was the second eldest; Goturem. She was in her teenage years, and was almost unhealthily thin. It was no secret to anyone that Goturem was insecure about herself, it was more than clear from her complexion and body. Her eyes were sunken in, along with the bit of cheeks she had. Her thorax had gotten noticeably smaller as well, and she did not shy from showing it off to any young guests with a tight dress. Goturem wore a crown as well, much bigger than Croutue's. It was much more elegant and time worn, and it's light red diamonds were newly fitted and cut in order to fit into the older gold. Goturem was nervous, one of her wings twitching erratically (much like a restless creature bouncing one of their legs) after a young male who caught her eye passed.

   Lastly was Sinco, the eldest who stood tall next to Goturem. He was a young adult, of decent bulk and size. He had a round face and hardy looking eyes, focused and precise, unnervingly so. Despite his harsh looking eyes, he was actually quite the welcoming sort, not that his specialized armored suit he wore would tell one that. The only thing relatively friendly about him was the watch he wore on his left hand, and the crown on his head. Said crown was quite spectacular looking, but not too different compared to the others. Despite his size and general confidence, Sinco could not hover on his own due to a birth defect in his wings; the source of his flight. They were much too small to carry his weight, which meant that on his back he had to wear a strange machine (from some company in space) which allowed him to fly like normal Apulus could. It was quite the ugly thing, he had to wear it above any clothes he had on, making his handicap clear for all to see.

   Beside him was King Stultus, and on the right side of Sectonia was Queen Bestiola. Stultus looked exactly the same as his son in face and eyes, whilst Bestiola took on a look much more similar to Croutue. The two wore grand crowns, both crowns having a center part of pure, flashy blue diamond. The queen wore a large typical ball gown, one which dragged on the floor if she hovered at her typical height, completely blue if it weren't for the yellow and orange fabric ribbons wrapped around it. The king just wore his typical attire, his normal red, fur lined robe which everyone had come to know was his by now. His wings were tucked behind his robe whilst his wife's stayed out for all to behold their splendor.

   They were the royal family. Rulers of two kingdoms; Floralia and Faunzia. Two kingdoms which had declared self sufficiency long before this line of royals was even born, and now, in the modern days, was suffering the consequences. Yet, despite the economy's ever so slight strain, they decided to throw this noble party as they did every year. Though there were thoughts of not hosting it this year, there was one voice which spoke out against such a terrible act; Sectonia's. She so adored the ball, so adored getting dressed up and showing off..

   And who in their right mind would say no to such a cute little child anyways?

  
  
  


   "That's gross and dirty."

   Croutue commented from the palace's doorway to the garden. Despite the fact that they lived on a nation that loved plants, Sectonia had received a sister who despised the things if they were not in a pot. It wasn't as if Sectonia was out and about rolling around in mud or picking up lesser developed bugs in her little hands. No. She was just outside, and just that was enough to receive Croutue's sneer.

   "I think it's pretty outside."

   Ever since she saw the Dreamstalk— an ancient flower yet to bloom— she felt inspired to have a host of plants for herself. Which is why she'd requested the castle garden to be expanded upon farther than it already was.

   "The sun causes diseases, you know. And dirt's full of bacteria."

   Croutue held her head up, looking down upon her younger sister with eyes that said 'agree with me, you are factually wrong'. Sectonia met those eyes, and did not shrivel. Instead, she smiled, hiding her disdain for Croutue's attempted coercing.

   "Everything makes you sick, everything's full of badteria."

   "Bacteria."

   Just had to correct her, of course. Because when one has nothing in response to the argument, better correct their annunciation, right? 

   "Is there something wrong with me enjoying stuff?"

   Croutue made a 'tch' noise.

   "It's gross stuff, so yes. Yes there is something wrong with that. You're a princess, like me, you need to stop playing in dirt and filth and act like me."

   "Goturem does gross things too," Sectonia answered, her tone all too lined with a false naivety, "and you don't get on her case for it. Same with Sinco."

   "Sinco's a boy, he can do gross things if he wants to. And since when does Goturem do gross stuff, huh?"

   Goturem was insecure about her weight, Sectonia knew. She also knew how digestive systems worked. With a quick bit of thought, Sectonia 'remembered' how gross the second eldest was.

   "I saw her after dinner one night, head hung over the toilet. I would say that's a lot more gross than me looking at plants."

   Croutue's face scrunched up, disgusted by the statement. From the look in her eyes, it was more than easy to tell that she believed it fully. With nary a word more, Croutue turned from her sister and headed back off indoors, to the safety of its walls.

   More than satisfied, Sectonia continued through the garden, poking at flowers she so enjoyed. But, Sectonia thought, if she were to raise and foster the flower she so wanted to bloom, she'd need more than just a proximity with plants. She'd need skill with them, and she'd need someone or something to learn the ways of gardening from.

   Which is why, today, she sought out the royal gardener. Thankfully for her, he was just by the toolshed. Made him very easy to find. He was small, just as small as she was. That's not to say he was a child, though, he was a full grown adult. Apules were just much larger compared to any other species found in the kingdom, which is why even though she was not even ten yet she was just as tall as him. 

   "Hello, Commorient?"

   Sectonia greeted, curious. He turned to her, his four eyes blinking as if he was seeing a mirage, before he gave a snaggletooth grin. He was a Araninem, a small creature with six floating hands, two pairs of eyes— one pair of which could be hidden by their hair—, and a tiny stinger at the end of his thorax. He was very brown, and wore a small plad neckerchief around his neck. He was carrying a shovel in one of his hands, and two bags in his five others.

   "Well, ello Princess," his voice was oddly scraggly, "to what do I owe the honor, eh?"

   He certainly wasn't the prettiest sight, but he was the only gardener they had that didn't quit the job because of stress or whatever.

   "I was wondering if you could teach me how to take care of plants. I love them a lot, and it's something to do other than learning manners."

   "Still havin' ya learn manners? That's surprisin'."

   Despite her being the picture perfect daughter, yes, she was still being taught manners. Table manners, social manners, all sorts. Sectonia gave him a respectful nod, and he squinted at her, looking her over almost scrutinizingly.

   "Well, I'm not going to have your mum cut my head off for you getting dirt on your pretty princess dress. You're gonna need to change into something you can get dirt on. Go put somethin' casual on and we'll get started."

  
  


   "This is a lot better."

   Croutue nodded approvingly before leaving the kitchen. Goturem parted eyes from Sectonia, watching her sister leave with some merit of confusion spread across her features. After a blink, she looked back to the younger sister, who hadn't turned to look at the intruder.

   "Well, Sectonia, I'm glad you wanna learn how to make my jam for me."

   "It's only the sisterly thing to do."

   Goturem smiled, patting Sectonia on the head before bringing the bowl of berries over. They were a bright purple, almost unnatural in how bright they were. They were strange in shape; a soft triangle. Well, it was really more of a spearhead, but some were more triangular rather than just an arrow straight down.

   "These're the berries that're used to make it. Ehm.. They're called Venespears."

   Venespears.. Vene.. Venenum? Poison? There was poison in these berries, yet somehow Goturem was eating them? How curious. Perhaps Sectonia would have to ask Commorient about this strange berry.

   "You just mash them up in a bowl, put some of.. One second-" Goturem floated around the kitchen before grabbing a strange bottle off one of the spice rack shelves, "This. It's like.. A weird chemical goop I don't say the name of. It's really, really important that it gets added to the jam, okay? You can't ever forget it."

   Sectonia reached out for the bottle, which Goturem gave over. Sure enough, the label on it and name was something completely incomprehensible to say. Something something tetrachloride, something something something. It really just looked like absolute nonsense slapped onto a label. Regardless, the substance inside the bottle was a almost transparent, light blue liquid.

   "What happens if I drink it?"

   "Oh, nothing, I think. It's safe to drink, but it probably tastes as good as a marker does."

   Okay, no drinking it straight from the bottle, then. Only putting it on the food.

   "Okay, I got it," Sectonia nodded, shaking the bottle slightly to see if the liquid would move— it didn't, "just put this on the jam after I smush it all up, right? Hm.. I could teach some of the servants in the kitchen this too."

   Goturem thought about it for a moment before silently nodding, giving her approval. Why Goturem didn't just teach the servants this in the first place, Sectonia may never understand.

  
  
  


   It was study hour for her. Sectonia sat quietly at her desk, reading over long, boring, and wordy pages. She yawned from how bored she was, blinking and spacing out whilst staring down at the page. It wasn't even a government document or anything super serious, no, it was homework assigned to her from her personal academia teacher. More specifically, it was language arts homework. She had to annotate a story to the point where the entire page should be filled with notes.

   A story that Sectonia had read over three times now, just to be thorough, and a story that she no longer desired to analyze. Study hour was almost up anyways, and she had gotten enough on her page to constitute a good grade. So, as soon as someone else entered the study, Sectonia basically snapped around to look at who it was.

   "Hey sis, you still doing study?"

   Sinco asked, floating over to look at the paper Sectonia had scribbled all over on.

   "Oh hey, I remember this story back when I was a kid."

   Sinco gently took the pencil from Sectonia's hand, and began to write on her page in a fanciful font that she saw him using all the time. It was so curious, how he could just write so nicely like that.

   "How do you write like that?"

   "It's cursive. Do you want me to teach you?"

   Being taught how to write just like Sinco could? Yes, this could prove to be quite the useful thing. Plus, she did enjoy making everything about herself fanciful and nice looking.

   "Yes, please."

   "Alright."

   Sinco looked around on her desk, snatching a free piece of looseleaf from her notebook. Her placed it horizontally, then began to write out the alphabet, all in cursive. He did it all the capitals first, then the lowercases. 

   Sectonia felt like this study hour was about to get a lot longer now that she was learning something that actually peaked her interest. 

  
  
  


   With her tenth birthday came magical studies. Much like everything else, she took to it hesitantly at first, before really burrowing down into it. She was still stumbling over some magical gestures, but she was doing fine otherwise. She'd even found her own affinity; creation magic. A rare and extraordinarily useful strand of magic that only very few creatures could harness to its full ability. Most of those creatures that could use this at it's maximum capacity were immortal, cosmic gods. That didn't stop Sectonia from trying.

   There were some other things she was trying out too. Plant magic, illusion magic, fire magic.. All some pretty cool stuff that she kept to herself.

   She sat alone, on the edge of the castle garden's boundaries, and on the end of the empire's boundaries as well. A cliff edge. A drop. See, funny thing about the land was that it wasn't exactly.. Ground-bound. It was a floating island, that sailed high above the clouds of some planets, and then would often take a departure through space to new lands if so dictated to.

   The sun was high in the sky, and through the clouds it was a marvelous sight that Sectonia saw essentially every day for her entire life. It'd really lost its splendor after ten years, despite how objectively beautiful it was. What Sectonia found more beautiful, though, was the crown she held lightly in her hands. The single red diamond it was encrusted with was what she focused on.

   She closed her eyes, focused on the picture of the diamond, and did her gestures. She heard the crackle of flames. When she opened her eyes once more, all she found were slightly singed hands and nothing within them. Perhaps she was too inexperienced to spawn diamonds yet.. She placed the crown back onto her head.

   "Ey," Commorient was suddenly clipping one of the circular clearing's hedges, "unless it's plant magic, you shouldn't need to practice it right now."

   Sectonia breathed in, then out, and did another small gesture. A berry, unnaturally purple, appeared in her little hand.

   "Commorient, I made a berry."

   She said, catching his attention. He knocked up his sun hat with one of his floating hands, squinting at the berry to decipher its species. It took him a second, but he recognized it.

   "Uhm, don't eat that."

   "I know, it's a Venespear. I'd like to plant it, in the garden so we can grow it here instead of ordering it from the farms. It'll be easier to get, and homegrown things are always nicer, right?"

   Commorient gave the princess a look. A suspicious one. He squinted at her berry, as if he'd realized something about it.

   "Why do ya wanna plant poison berries in the garden?"

   "Goturem eats them. She makes a jam out of them, puts a bit of weird stuff on it, then eats it. It makes it so they don't hurt her when she eats them."

   Commorient shook his head.

   "No, that's.. Not how Venespears work. See the one you've got in your hand? How it's bright purple, but not extremely bright? That's a non-toxic one. Venespears produce toxic and non-toxic berries, and the non-toxic ones are a lot rarer than you might think. An entire bush of one hundred of them could most likely only bear one or two of them per harvest."

   Interesting. 

   "The toxic ones are even brighter than non-toxic ones, and they're hard to differentiate from because the only way you can tell is how bright they are. Just one of the toxic ones could be fatal."

   Sectonia blinked, looking down at her little berry with intrigue. Then, she looked back up to the gardener with the two gigantic hedge clippers.

   "Whatever your sister is putting in her jam doesn't change anything."

   Hrm.

   "..Can we plant it, please?"

   Commorient hesitated, obviously thinking, before he submitted to the princess.

   "Yeah, yeah, but it's your responsibility. I'll tell you what it needs and all, but you're going to have to take care of it. And I'm putting up a sign nearby it that tells people they're not allowed to eat from it."

   Sectonia, spoiled, was happy.

  
  
  


   "You'll get fat if you eat so much."

   Goturem advised, delicately eating her bread with special jam. Croutue, eating a more typical meal that was fit for someone who could actually handle more than three hundred calories a day, scowled at her sister's observations.

   "Says the exoskeleton in a dress."

   Croutue snarked, getting a glare from Goturem, who sat across the dining table. Sinco sounded like he was about to retort, whilst Sectonia stayed silent like the perfect angel child she was. She didn't even so much as look up from her food.

   "Oh, we're judging me now? You put on a literal pound every day. A pound of makeup. How about you wipe it off for once, show everyone what you actually look like. At least my looks are natural."

   "That's not something to brag about! You're about as natural as a corpse! At least with makeup I'm hot!"

   "Ladies, ladies," Sinco interrupted, "you both don't have boyfriends. Can we get back to eating without a beefight?"

   Sectonia smiled at her plate. She could hear her father and mother sigh in knowing what was to come next. Well, it certainly broke out. A plethora of insults spewed between the three, all equally sassy and demeaning. 

   "Sectonia," Bestiola quietly said, catching Sectonia's attention away from her plate and towards her mothers face, "promise me you won't end up like these three when you're older."

   "I promise."

  
  
  


   "Why?"

   "She's the eldest, she has to be."

   Bestiola sat, laying in bed, her antennas slightly withered. Sectonia simply couldn't believe her ears. Goturem was to be crowned the new queen upon the next annual ball. Bestiola was growing old, and kings were never appointed first— queens were. Which meant Goturem would receive the crown; the ultimate power in all the land. Once a new queen was appointed, Stultus would essentially be placed into retirement until he perished as well.

   "But she's more concerned about her looks than she is about running a country. Same with Croutue, and yet both of them get a chance at the crown before I do..?"

   Sectonia mumbled, feeling her mother's hand under her chin. Bestiola lifted Sectonia's head up.

   "They're older, you can't control that.."

   "Even Sinco gets a chance before me, and he's not even a girl."

   The lineup went Goturem, Sinco, Croutue, then Sectonia at the very end. That's three people who all got a chance before her. She was completely right to be unhappy about this; it was completely unjust. She was the perfect child, the perfect future queen. She'd always been perfect, yet just because she's younger she wasn't getting chosen.

   "I can't change the rules."

   "You're the queen. Of course you can change the rules."

   "Sectonia, I can't appoint a fourteen year old queen. If you were twenty I'd reconsider. I'm sorry."

   Sectonia sighed, tearfully, then looked off. The crown would be passed down at the next ball.. How long was that from now? Six months? Six months.. Sectonia's eyes focused, and she thought deeply.

  
  
  


   Sectonia carried the berries into the kitchen, hefting them up onto the counter. She'd gotten relatively strong from gardening, and it proved itself through the sheer amount of berries or things she could pick up with one hand. A servant took a look into the basket, examining the berries.

   "Fresh ones," Sectonia answered the unspoken question, "Commorient picked most of them."

   Sectonia suddenly got a snide smirk on her face as she brought her face close to the servant's. 

   "By the way, did you hear that Commorient tried to ask Goturem out but she spat in his face?"

   The servant gasped and smiled just as mischeviously.

   "He's so nice too, I can't believe she did that. It was super heartfelt and everything, like he loved her for years or something like that. I saw it all from the garden, it was soo embarrassing.. Don't tell anyone I told you, though. Commorient would kill me if he found out about it. It was so embarrassing.."

   Sectonia spoke just loud enough for passing by servants to hear. They spoke nothing, but she knew they heard her. The servant dumped the berries into a stone bowl, then began to mash them up with another little rock tool.

   "Poor guy," the servant said, mushing the neon purple berries into their jam, "guess she doesn't like the dirty types, she is going to be queen, afterall. She likes all the young guys, and Commorient isn't exactly young."

   "Yeah, it sucks when your age basically makes it so you can't get something you really want."

   Sectonia went over and snatched up the strange clear fluid from the shelf, pouring it in with the purple mush.

   "I feel really bad for him, though, he must feel so sad," Sectonia sympathized with him, she really did, "I know I would be if someone I loved broke my heart like that."

   The servant suddenly stopped.

   "..Is it really such a good idea to be eating sometimes poisonous berries picked by a guy who got his heart broken? And feeding them to the person who broke his heart?"

   They questioned, logically. Sectonia must've reached into the basket earlier, because there was one little berry in her hand. She popped it into her mouth, chewed, then swallowed. The servant looked on with horror, then watched as nothing happened.

   "Perfectly fine."

   Sectonia shrugged, and the servant went on about their jam making. Sectonia found herself lacking anything to do, so she decided to head off to do her magic practice early. She felt like she'd come quite a ways, she was quite handy with it, but there could always be improvements.

   She'd only managed to get to the study before there were guards rushing past her, through the halls. Her eyes widened, she'd never seen the guards so urgent about anything.

   "What's going on?"

   She asked, causing one of the guards to pause, but only for a moment.

   "Goturem's been murdered!"

  
  


   They held the trial first. There was no prosecution, nor was there any defense, there was simply a judge, a jury, and the accused. Commorient insisted that he'd never had any relationship with Goturem, but through rumors, it spread that he'd been rejected and this was his horrible revenge; to poison her for breaking his heart. 

   Commorient pleaded with the judge— King Stultus— telling him that he did not even so much as look at the bush of Venespears, much less harvest anything from them. The bush was Sectonia's responsibility, not his. But the King stood harsh, called Commorient a liar because Sectonia, his perfect angel child who'd never lied once in her life or acted out in rude or unpleasant ways, told him otherwise.

   The gardener was sentenced in a day, and executed the next for his crimes of high treason and royal murder. With his death, Sectonia was given the entire garden to take care of, a joy she took all too melancholy on the surface. For while it was one joy, her sister was dead, and that was something that logically overshadowed any sort of joy she should be feeling.

   But as she entered her garden at night, one completely free of guards or other people, all she did was look over it and softly smile to herself. Only as she approached her completely bare Venespear bush with a lantern in hand, did it dip. She muttered an apology, as if she felt sorry for the plant, and focused herself on her lantern. The lantern's glass door unlatched itself, and the flame inside weaved out and danced onto the plant. She held it there for a couple moments, allowing it some help to catch the somewhat dry plant aflame.

   She sat and watched as the fire burned, crackling and sparking off embers onto the cut and watered grass. Despite it being summer, everything else was watered and moist as to keep it healthy.

   Sectonia sat and watched the burning bush, now indifferent. She sat there, basking in the flames for at least thirty minutes before it eventually pittered out, running out of leaves and branches to devour. Only then did Sectonia leave, with thoughts of planting flowers there instead.

   At the funeral of her sister, she'd only stood there at the coffin for but a mere couple of seconds before turning and leaving.

  
  
  


   It'd been two months since the death of Goturem, and the rest of the family had recovered. Except one. Sinco had taken it especially hard, for whatever reason. His stage of grief that involved crying had lasted for weeks upon weeks, much longer than anyone else's had. Even now, at the dinnertable, he still looked as if he were going to cry after he ate supper.

   The king and Sectonia's remaining sister paid him no mind, sick of his elongated grovelling because it only brought their spirits back down as well. Sectonia, though, stared on upon her brother's sadness for much longer than what would be considered decent.

   Sectonia stopped her staring, finished up her food, and excused herself promptly. She rushed herself back to her room— but not too fast to look like she was urgently in need of something. She sat down at her desk where books piled neatly and pulled a sheet of empty white paper from the many she had laying on her desk. She was about to write on it when she realized something.

   Upon her realization, she floated up, out of her room, and to Sinco's which was located just across the hall from hers. A guard saw her, but that wasn't a big deal. She simply went in, took a pen of his, then went out and back to her own room. The guard did not bat an eye as she gave them a mischievous smile that said 'don't tell Sinco'.

   Once she was back in her own quarters, she sat once more at her desk, and wrote in elegant and familiar cursive. She signed it with a single name, then folded the letter into thirds so it might be transported through easier means. She tucked it into a drawer for safe and easy keeping. After that, she returned the pen back to its owner's room.

   Sectonia then decided to begin her magic practice. There was one thing Sectonia so desired to create; diamonds. As she focused and tried her hardest to spawn the beautiful gem, it ended in failure.

   With her practice concluding with only sore hands, Sectonia looked towards the future, where she would be capable of enjoying the glorious diamonds and outcomes she so prepared to receive.

  
  
  


   Sectonia crept into Sinco's room not but a week later. She had something important to discuss, and the only time to do it was when all others were asleep. It was very, very important.

   "Sinco.. Sinco.."

   She chirped, shoving him about in his bed as he groaned to wake up. He rolled over and grunted before ultimately sitting up. He rubbed his eyes with his hands, and looked at her with a squint.

   "What..?? Do you know what time it is??"

   He questioned, holding onto his sheets. Sectonia picked up his watch from his bedside table, and examined it for the time in the moonlit room. Whilst she had it in her hand, she set it to be an hour ahead.

   "It's quarter past one."

   Sectonia informed, putting the watch around Sinco's gloved hand and clicking it in place. He appeared confused, looking at the pajamaed and robed Sectonia like she was some sort of alien. Sure, maybe seeing her in a robe with gigantic pockets was a bit strange, but still.

   "I want to talk to you about something.. About Goturem. So.. Get up and follow me so we can talk somewhere nice."

   Sinco didn't question it. He was already in his pajamas, already ready to go wherever. All he needed to do first was snatch his machine from the table, put it on, and get out of bed. That's exactly what he did, and he floated after Sectonia. Down the halls, wordlessly, and using halls that were temporarily unguarded as guards shifted around the castle.

   No one saw them once they'd gotten to the garden. No one saw them as they approached the edge of the empire— the edge of the floating island. Sectonia sat at that edge, thorax hanging over, and Sinco followed suit.

   "You're still sad about her, aren't you?"

   "How could I not be?"

   Sinco sighed, looking upon the moon and clouds with immeasurable sadness. Sectonia could see his eyes mist, just talking about it for a moment. It was strange, how attached he was. As far as Sectonia knew, they didn't even have the best relationship.

   "..Fair, anyone would be sad, perhaps you're just.. More sentimental about it. All of us need to keep up a.. I guess an image of emotionlessness, and that's why we can't stick around and mourn forever."

   Sectonia pat at the top of his back supportingly, sticking one of her other hands into her robe's pocket.

   "I dunno.. Have you, ever been in love, Sectonia?"

   Sectonia chuckled, slightly caught off guard from the question.

   "Maybe with some of the fictional characters I read about in a strictly platonic sense of obsession, but no, I've never exactly been in love in real life. Not in a romantic way."

   Sectonia's hand trailed down his back slowly as she spoke. It was a vertical rub, yes, and it had a destination to get to.

   "Well, then I guess you can't relate to how I felt about Goturem."

   Sectonia's eyes went wide with horror and disgust at what that implied. There was not a statement she'd heard from one of her family members that was more vile than that, and she heard her mother tell her a most disgusting truth in the past.

   Sectonia's hand pressed in the middle of his back, where the machine allowing him to float was.

   "You romantically loved her?"

   She just wanted clarification. She knew there was a reason for his mourning, but was this really it? Out of all things? This was the explaination? She was prepared for him to say literally anything, anything except for this. 

   "Yeah. I was gonna make her my queen."

   Sectonia was positively revolted. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She glanced at the watch he wore, saw it was one forty-two at night, and mentally took note.

   "..I don't know what to say."

   Sectonia laughed because she couldn't do much else. It was the shock, most likely, that kept her from taking a tone of pure anger. Whilst she laughed, she clicked off his machine. It made a little whir before powering down. It unhooked from his pajamas, but Sectonia kept her hand on it to make sure it didn't completely fall off. That way he could still feel the weight of it on his back.

   "You fell for your own sister."

   That just made him all the more deserving of what happened next, the disgusting bug.

   "Mhm."

   "Well, don't worry, Sinco."

   Sectonia got up and took her hand out of her pocket. She curled this hand into a less than delicate fist. It did not move.

   "You only have to fall once more before everything gets better."

   She let the machine of his drop onto the ground below before she cracked him in the face. He didn't make so much as a sound as he toppled over the edge of the kingdom, and down below the clouds. Sectonia, from moving plants and gardening, and developed enough strength to make him temporarily black out depending on where she'd hit him.

   From the silence she received, she'd hit him in just the right spot, and no one was any the wiser. She brought out a small letter and pen from her robe pocket. She unfolded the letter, and wrote the time where it was appropriate. She then tucked the letter, folded, underneath Sinco's machine, and left the pen there as well. 

   With that, she floated back into the castle via the kitchen entrance, passed by some of the guards— after explaining she couldn't sleep so she was out to get a glass of water (which yes she did get)—, entered her room, shed her robe, drank her water, then went soundly to sleep.

  
  
  


   She went about her business, gardening, all that good stuff. Only when she did get around to trimming the hedges did she approach the letter and machine. Carefully, she plucked it out from underneath the machination and read the writing.

 

As I write, it is 1:27AM.

If you are reading this, I am dead. I have thrown myself off of Faunzia from the castle garden because I do not wish to be alive with the thoughts of Goturem swirling in my head for the rest of my life. I expected my sorrow to slow and become easier to cope with, as I saw everyone else's do, but it stayed strong in my forever broken heart. I cannot rule a nation while I'm stuck sobbing from pain, so I've saved you the grief of having a mournful king, and removed myself from being a heir to the throne. I wish I had more to say. I'm sorry. This is too painful to write, and I can't bear to go on with it.

Goodbye, I love you all.

Sinco

 

   Sectonia inhaled, exhaled, crunched the paper slightly in her hands, then screamed. She screamed like a banshee, loud enough for the opposite end of the kingdom to hear. She screamed, then pettled out her screams into sobs. She backed away from the letter, the machine, all of it, as guards came rushing to her aid. They comforted her as she trembled, and when they read the letter, they ushered her back indoors whilst a team of guards was dispatched to go find Sinco, or whatever remained of him.

   As she was comforted, she was brought before her father and sister, then later her mother, all of which she told the exact same story— Sinco was dead, and he'd ended it himself.

   By the time they'd found him, it'd been another day. He was actually much farther away than expected. The floating island moved at a stable and constant velocity, and his landing point was an hour behind where his letter said he would be. It was all explained when his watch was found. It had stopped from the impact, telling the time he'd died to be at one forty-four. Everyone deducted that his clock was an hour fast.

   Sectonia was questioned. Guards had seen her that night, after the actual time of death, but it was inconclusive. Her reaction to his death was more than telling, along with the fact that she alerted the guards to his suicide note in the first place. Not to mention she was just fourteen. Who would point their finger at a fourteen year old and say she had something to do with his death just because she was up that night getting water?

   The accusations just made her sobbing and crying worse, so all of it was dropped from inconclusive evidence against her.

  
  
  


   Sectonia's bouts of therapy for her trauma allowed her to slip back into a state of outer apathy. As she came to terms with Sinco's death, she accepted that he was gone, and no longer needed the therapy or any tears. Death of two elder siblings within a couple months held heavy on any normal fourteen year-old's shoulders, but Sectonia was the picture perfect child who could get over her own emotions like a true queen.

   When her mother died from heartbreak not a couple days after Sectonia had gone into a state of portrayed acceptance. The Sectonia and the rest of the kingdom wept once more upon her passing. The line of royals were dropping like flies, and sooner or later there might be none left. That's what the people feared, but Sectonia knew it'd never come to pass.

   Sectonia was busy practicing magic once more, thinking about the upcoming ball. There, where Croutue of all people would be crowned the new queen by Stultus. She attempted to conjure a diamond, clearing her mind and focusing on the texture and sight of a diamond, willing it into her hand. Yet, still, nothing but soreness greeted her.

   Sectonia then tried something slightly rusty to her; illusions. It was the act of projecting light from one's hands, then typically onto a reflective surface in order to create an image of whatever they so desired. That's how this branch of illusion worked, at least. Sectonia faced her mirror, did the gestures, and held out her hand. Light flickered and reflected right onto her, where projected was an image of a small diamond.

   She sighed, deciding that was enough, and left her room to go get tailored for her new dress to the ball. It was around that time, and floating through the castle over to the tailors special fitting room was quite pleasant.

   Before entering, she adjusted the crown on her head ever so slightly, then made her presence known through the opening and closing of a door. Croutue was already in there, being fitted for something.. Eh.. Less than magnificent.

   "Shouldn't you wear something more.. Grand if you're going to become queen, sister?"

   Sectonia suggested. Croutue twitched at her voice, hesitated, then looked slightly annoyed. Sectonia could only see this thanks to the half circle of mirrors surrounding her floating bug sister.

   "That's what I've been saying! I need to look grand and big for my crowning!"

   Croutue looked disapprovingly at the tailor, who, with a bit of a puff, removed the more humble dress from the soon to be queen. Instead, a much larger dress was brought out; the same one their mother used to wear at balls. It was certainly grand, and certainly fit for a queen. Very pretty.

   Very large as well. Stuck out quite a bit.

  
  
  


   The ball was held in the ballroom. A place with a wooden floor, still in need of polishing before the big day. The ball room was decorated in large curtains and vines, plants of all sorts. They ran up along the walls, along the ceiling, they held up the roof. They're what kept the entire room from collapsing in on itself. All in all, it was quite the nature themed room. 

   Sectonia did adore the plants, and she did dread what might happen to them. Sectonia focused on the plants, breathed in, then out, and spawned a small vine within her own hand. It wormed around before snapping and grasping at a larger vine on the wall, and tugging. Satisfied, Sectonia stopped her focus, and allowed the vine to wither.

   She placed her gloved hand on the wall-climbed vine and pat at it idly, as if it were some sentient creature being comforted before their final, penultimate trip to the vet.

   The ballroom was set up to only hold few places of flame, the occasional wall torch which lined the.. Well, walls, and the two chandeliers that lit the room up brilliantly whilst looking quite fancy as well. Sectonia gazed upon the flames of the suspended candles and watched as they flickered brighter under her red eyes.

   "Princess, shoo, shoo, we have to get ready for the ball and it must be a surprise with how the place looks! Shoo!"

   A 'Person of the Sky' rushed over to her, pushing her away from the vines with utmost haste towards the door. Sectonia, annoyed, laughed and left by herself. She just wished to see the ballroom before it changed for good.

  
  


   Sure enough, the ball came. Sectonia attended it in a small gown as to not overshadow her sister's, and with a handheld mirror in order to check her makeup was all fine for the crowning ceremony, which was yet to come. Sectonia, off the side, gazed into her mirror. It was a very, very plain mirror. Bought from the market, very affordable. Not special whatsoever. She actually had two mirrors, one which she kept hidden in her dress. Through this mirror, she used to look upon herself moreso than the festivities. Most people were focused on it, including Sectonia's sister and father. All three of them sat a long rectangular table which overlooked the dancers. Stultus sat in the middle of the two girls, very idle and exhausted looking.

   Brushing an antenna, she looked upon her glorious crown and beautiful eyes. She pictured a future soon to come; one where she wore her mother's crown, and honored it justly.

   Sectonia set her mirror down onto the table, and angled it up to face one of the chandeliers. She activated her illusion magic for only a moment, having it reflect the image of a strange, robed creature onto the top of the light fixture in question. It looked nimble, and perched ontop of there like it was some sort of cat. It moved its hand, which caused the flames the chandelier held to explode into large pyres. 

   People screamed, obviously, and screamed even moreso when the twin chandelier exploded just the same. The figure jumped into the flames and disappeared just like that whilst the flames just continued to grow and grow. Sectonia had her eyes trained on it, eyes wide in wordless horror, most likely. She felt Stultus get up from his chair, but that did not stop her from looking up. 

   In her hand that she held away from view, a vine slipped out and underneath the table.

   The ceiling lit and caught fire due to the fact that no one ever went up to the vines on the ceiling and watered them, and due to the dry conditions. They burned spectacularly as people continued to scream and pile out in a panic. Stultus grabbed Sectonia, snapping her from her trance, along with her sister. As she was tugged off, Sectonia grabbed her mirror. The ceiling began to collapse by the time he rushed them across the room, and toppled down in places that blocked their advancement. 

   Through the continued rush, Sectonia flung her mirror across the room, over to where party guests would've been. It spiraled over onto the wooden ground before a piece of debris fell upon it.

   The flames not once touched Sectonia's dainty young face as they ran. The flames, however, crashed nicely and blocked Croutue, lighting her nice, big dress aflame. As if something had wormed its way through the flames, something caught her and caused her to trip. She yelled out more as the ceiling continued to cave. Stultus paused there, and wordlessly continued forward without her, determined to get his one remaining daughter out. 

   Sure enough, Sectonia had managed to get out perfectly fine with her father. Which, as soon as she was safe, she slapped her idiot father. Sectonia, brimming at the eyes from the smoke stinging her, rushed back into the ballroom in an attempt to save her sister.

   Guards stalled her, and Sectonia did nothing but sob as she was ushered out of the castle alongside her father and the other ball guests. It was not five minutes after they'd completely left the castle were they informed that the ballroom was no longer a ballroom due to the lack of ceiling.

   At the very least Croutue was eternally hot, like she so desired.

  
  
  


   The remaining years that Sectonia spent as an only child were probably the most guarded ones. Guards had been set up in the garden, guards had been set to monitor her, all that good stuff. They feared that whoever murdered Croutue would come back for the final heir's head, but they never did. Perhaps they saw the guards and gave up? No.

   That wasn't the case whatsoever. For when the cleanup crew looked through the debris, they found a battered and destroyed mirror, amongst other few things that had been left behind. People began to assume a noble was behind the heinous act, as mirrors could be used for basic illusions. It explained why the perpetrator just mystically disappeared into the flames, and why no one saw them enter the room or climb onto the chandeliers at all.

   Sectonia was questioned about it, as she was seen with a mirror that night as well, which she confirmed she had, but it stayed on her person. Other than that, she did not know a lick of illusion magic. She knew it existed, but she didn't dabble in it.

   Regardless, she'd gone back to therapy, where she stayed for a good year or so before she was let out with a clean state of mental health. They said she was rattled by the event, and to keep her away from flames to keep from having her panic, which was what was done aptly. Candles were replaced with electrical lights, which were much better on the eyes.

   With all her new time, and her days numerous before she could even potentially take the crown, Sectonia visited the Dreamstalk— still unbloomed in Floralia— more than often, as if she expected her presence to bring it to maturity. Other people watched the stalk as well, expecting something to happen, but it never did. Instead, it stayed dormant, even under Sectonia's indecipherable eyes.

   People thought of her as deeply and tragically pained. She was only fourteen, and she'd lost eighty percent of her family in less than a year. Less than six months, actually. People wrote about her, saying how horribly tragic it was, how horrid the tragedies befallen her were, and how she had to take to the throne despite all these unfortunate incidents.

   Some whispered of her as the next to go, to be killed by some tragedy. Maybe even murdered by whoever had caused the fire at the ball. Perhaps she'd needed to train to become even stronger if she were to survive against the odds and bad luck. 

   Sectonia only heard these whispers as she sat in her room, a red diamond freshly spawned in her hand as guards passed by her door.

  
  
  


   Stultus held out against the wrath of old age until Sectonia was nineteen, until he eventually succumbed to the same sort of death his wife had years prior. Despite being one year shy of the typical queen age, she was appointed regardless, because the country needed a queen, and she would be it. She wore her mother's crown, diamond and gold, and cemented herself in her throne alone.

   It was with her father's last wish that she was also given a number of royal advisers, all of which would give her advice (surprising) and generally just.. Be there. One of them was a familiar species, and his name was Taranza. This one particular adviser of hers caught her eye because of how uniquely he acted. He was entirely unprofessional to the point where Sectonia could basically see the cartoonish hearts in his eyes.

   His undying loyalty, unquestioning nature, and his desire to defend his queen from any and all criticism is what Sectonia appreciated most about him. Everything else like his obvious romantic pining quite frankly made her roll her eyes. As if she'd ever have a partner in a society where it wasn't necessary. As if she'd add an extra roadblock on the street of her rule.

   All the advisers, including him, spoke of slow economic decline that'd compounded over the years. On the planets that the floating empire traveled to, people already had their goods. People already could make whatever Floralia and Faunzia made, except cheaper and of higher quality. It was a concern that could end in poverty, and Sectonia looked upon the issue with an eye no queen had before.

   Instead of peering upon her empire for answers, she looked for solutions down below the clouds. Nations below, where other struggling economies could be, that is what she sought after. When she did not find the one specific type she wanted, she went to the next planet. Then the next. It took not long before she found the exact sort of nation she was looking for, which she struck up conversation with.

   A nation whose entire economy had gone down due to the stagnant population and lack of workers. People had immigrated off-planet to go work for that one company that sold monsters and beasts, never coming back. Ontop of that they would stop sending money back to their relatives after a few years of employment. Sectonia saw one solution to their problem.

   She hired her own people as workers, government ones. Ones that would work for this sorrowful nation, and do it supposedly for 'free'. They'd be paid by Sectonia, not the nation's own employers. Naturally, her offer was accepted. Sectonia was praised for her kindness by both the nation and her citizens, and her general generosity. This program gave people the ability to see lands below the clouds— certainly something that was no less than exciting.

   Now.. Well, now.. That'd changed.

   "Please, your program has worked so well," the governor pleaded on the screen, all pride gone for desperation, "you can't just leave and take everyone with you!"

   "I don't see why I can't. My people are not paid by you, they're paid by me. If I want them back, I am able to take them back if I so desire. We've helped you to the best of our ability, yet you've given us nothing in return except empty thanks."

   Sectonia sat, unfazed on her throne as the holographic projection of the nation's leader looked quite panicked. The guards by her side stood just as still. 

   "You've leeched off my kindness for far too long, I'm afraid I'll have to rip you off as soon as this call ends."

   The governor babbled before swallowing the lump in his throat.

   "We'll pay you, just, please."

   "You should've been doing that in the first place. How much am I going to be compensated for your parasitic ways? How much money do you plan to give me to redistribute to my people?"

   He straightened himself and relaxed.

   "How much do you pay them to work for us?"

   "In your currency? It'd be twenty kiolshes per hour."

   In reality, it was only half of that, but who's really counting? Certainly not the governor. He seemed to think and pale to himself before finally coming to a decision.

   "Is one billion-"

   "Two billion would be enough."

   It'd be pure government money, distributed out onto the people and their systems, alongside using it to maybe modernize some things in the castle as well. That'd be nice.

   "Two.. Are you sure you can't-"

   "I can withdraw my workers."

   "No, no."

   "Then two billion is fine."

   With not a word more, she terminated the conversation with a nod of her head. A guard moved over to the ball the hologram was projected up from, then turned it off, walking over and storing it with all the other important machines Sectonia had obtained.

  
  
  


   Sectonia's rule, from the time she was nineteen until present day, was perfect. Her people adored her, as did the people she did trade with. She was the fairest, kindest, progressive, and most altruistic ruler that Floralia and Faunzia had seen in recent history. She did all her mother did, but better. She'd taken up swordplay as a hobby and created an official sport of sparring, encouraging recreational activities like never before. She was generous to her people, she did not stay herself from mingling amongst commoners on her guarded floats to visit the still withdrawn Dreamstalk.

   It'd been decorated by citizens, and nicely so. People would water it and donate mulch to it because they believed it made their fair queen happy. It most certainly didn't make her unhappy.

   One day, she was asked by a small Floralian why she visited the Dreamstalk weekly. 

   "It's supposed to be full of hopes and dreams," and with those two together rumored immeasurable power, "I was hoping that if I made my kingdom the happiest it could be, it would bloom. Perhaps it'll just take a bit more time and effort before it does. I hope to see what it looks like, and how beautiful it'll be when it does."

   It was a perfect explanation, satisfying enough.

   That same day, she expected a slow work load. It was how she predicted, and she ended up sitting on her throne waiting for her advisers to show up for most of it. Sure enough, one adviser did show themselves.

   Taranza. 

   He, along with multiple guards, was hauling a gigantic golden.. Thing. Its frame was gold, it had golden wings on it's sides, it was really just the image of grandeur.

   "My queen!" Taranza was singsong, "The empire floated past this just now, and it's quite beautiful, much like yourself!"

   Beautiful? Tell her something she didn't know or hear, honestly. 

   "What is it?"

   Taranza did not answer as it was brought before Sectonia's throne. He and the other guards hefted it up, and the answer was revealed. Sectonia looked upon it with intense focus.

   "It's a mirror, crafted by the Ancients as a tribute to the Stars! That's what the religious historian that saw it said, anyways. A gift worthy of the gods, never meant to be looked upon by mortals, or something like that."

   Sectonia saw something in the mirror's reflection. She did not see a queen sitting on a throne. No, she most certainly did not see a queen whatsoever. 

   She smiled.

   "A gift only meant for gods is certainly worthy of me."

  
  
  



End file.
